The reality of child poverty in the UK

1. Executive summary - Introduction

In March 1999 the Prime Minister made a historic and ambitious pledge to end child poverty within a generation. There are now 600,000 fewer children living in poverty than eight years ago, for whom quality of life and future opportunities are improving. But far too many children are still left behind. The lives of 3.8 million children in the UK – I in 3 – are blighted by poverty. Child poverty in the UK is double what it was in 1979 and is well above the European average. After a slow but steady fall in child poverty from the late 1990s, progress now appears to have stalled and on current policies there seems little prospect of the Government meeting its milestone target of halving child poverty by 2010.

This report looks at the lives of the poorest children, based on interviews with over 40 families with whom Barnardo’s works in different parts of the UK. The interviews demonstrate the reality of life for those most deeply mired in poverty. These include children in black and minority ethnic families, those in families struggling on low wages, lone parent families, families affected by disability and large families. The report also looks at other vulnerable groups, including children in asylum-seeking families, children in poor housing and young people living independently.

The case studies illustrate the daily grinding struggle that low-income families face in providing a decent childhood for their children.